The subject of this patent application relates generally to medication dispensing devices, and more particularly to a tamper-proof pill dispensing system and associated methods of use.
Applicant hereby incorporates herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application.
By way of background, opioids include prescription drugs such as oxycodone (OXYCONTIN®, OXECTA®, ROXICODONE®), oxycondone and acetaminophen (PERCOCET®, ENDOCET®, ROXICET®), hydrocodone (HYSINGLA ER®, ZOHYDRO ER®), hydrocodone and acetaminophen (LORCET®, LORTAB®, NORCO®, VICODIN®), hydromorphone (DILAUDID®), meperidine (DEMEROL®), methadone, codeine, morphine, and fentanyl as well as illegal drugs such as heroin. Studies have found that a person dies from an opioid overdose roughly every 20 minutes, and roughly 30,000 people die a year. It is an epidemic that difficult to treat. Over 90% of people who overdose on prescription painkillers continue to use them and this use cost the United States 78.5 billion dollars in 2013.
Government policies to limit opioids will not treat pain nor stem the addiction problem. It will worsen the problem for addicts and compliant patients. Those who cannot get opioids turn to heroin, which is becoming increasingly more dangerous with the addition of Car-Fentanyl. Studies from the CDC show that roughly 100 million people are taking opioids for chronic pain, and the government wants to limit their access to opioids. Those 100 million patients need a solution to prevent their opioids used for their treatment of pain from being taken away from them.
Doctors write prescriptions correctly; pharmacists fill prescriptions correctly; patients receive a bottle of opioids containing 30 to 120 pills of opioids, and therein lies the problem. The patient can take 1 pill or 120 pills. Patient compliance is a problem. This is further compounded by the sharing of opioids or sharing of excess opioid pills. Most of those who abuse prescription opioids obtain them for free from a friend or relative. However, those who are at highest risk of overdose (using prescription opioids non-medically 200 or more days a year) obtain them in ways that are different from those who use them less frequently. These people obtain opioids using their own prescriptions (27 percent), from friends or relatives for free (26 percent), buying from friends or relatives (23 percent), or buying from a drug dealer (15 percent). Those at highest risk of overdose are about four times more likely than the average user to buy the drugs from a dealer or other stranger.
Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.
It should be noted that the above background description includes information that may be useful in understanding aspects of the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.